No
by mish184
Summary: Takes place after 5.10


**I don't own anything…..and not Mark Schwann.**

**SATURDAY EVENING**

"No, you stay away from us. This marriage is over! I want a divorce!" Haley cried out to Nathan as she rocked Jamie in her arms.

Jamie had been pulled out of their pool by Nathan after a heated fight between Haley and Nathan. Nathan gasped at the words that had just left Haley's lips.

"Haley" Nathan said breathlessly.

Haley quickly stood up with Jamie still held tightly in her arms as she ran into the house and shut the door. As she walked up to Jamie's room, consoling her son and changing him out of his wet clothes, her husband stayed in his position by the pool. Nathan just sat there, not knowing how to react. In a matter of minutes, his son practically drowned and his wife had told him she wanted a divorce. He felt helpless…angry…sad, but most of all completely broken and alone. After what seemed like hours, Nathan stood up and walked back to Lucas' feeling his life was turned upside down and most of, he had let the two most important people in his life down.

"Of course Haley would want a divorce" he thought to himself as he walked to Lucas'. "She gave up her dreams of Stanford to allow me to pursue my dream of the NBA. She unselfishly took care of Jamie as I was on the road playing basketball, while juggling work and classes as well. Then when I lost the dream of the NBA, I shut her out and then the whole crazy Nanny Carrie thing was too much for her to handle. Who could blame her? She was always doing and giving more for me then I did for her. She worked at that crappy restaurant near campus to help pay bills as I only worked at the cushy athletic office that the school had helped me get since I was an athlete. Through everything she stayed with me, but I've pushed her too far." Nathan thought as he continued to silently cry the rest of the way home. How could he possibly turn things around and not lose his family?

Back at the Scott household, Haley laid in the bed she once shared with Nathan, but instead with their son held tightly in her arms as he slept.

"A divorce" she thought. "How could I say that aloud to him? I can't breathe when I'm around him and when I'm not, I want to be. I am completely in love with him. What have I done?" she thought as tears ran down her cheeks. Yes, they were arguing, but she wanted to find a way to make things right. Her mind was running scared, was the only possible reasoning behind it. Because deep down she did not honestly believe Nathan could have cheated on her. It was not possible she concluded. "I can't picture life without him" she thought as she cried herself to sleep.

**SUNDAY MORNING**

Haley woke up and looked at the clock that read 9:02am. She grabbed her cellphone off the nightstand and noticed no missed calls or texts. Nathan had not attempted to reach Haley. "Was he not going to fight for our marriage? He couldn't have really been cheating and now has a way out of our relationship since I asked for a divorce?" Haley thought. She turned over and looked at her son, no actually, their son. "He has to call. There is nothing that would keep Nathan away from Jamie. Then we'll talk and go from there" Haley thought.

The clock read 9:05am as Nathan packed the last of his things and walked out of Lucas' house. He was leaving Tree Hill heading for Charlotte. He hoped Charlotte would bring him the promise of a better tomorrow. After all, if he stayed in Tree Hill he would not be able to give Haley or Jamie anything. He had decided this was for the best. So he walked out of Lucas', jumped in his range rover and began the 2 ½ drive to Charlotte, NC.

"Mama, when can I see Daddy?" Jamie asked innocently. Haley and Jamie had just finished dinner and were now clearing off the table.

"Buddy, I'm sure he'll call to see you soon." She said hoping it was true. The truth was, she did not know why it was nearly 7pm and Nathan still had not tried to contact her or Jamie all day. Was this some sort of game to him? Was he punishing her for saying the words "divorce" to him? Should she call him? Was that was he was waiting for? Maybe he was so hurt by her words that he was waiting for her to call and apologize? No, it was Nathan. He wouldn't let that stand in the way of checking in on his son. Would he? Maybe she could be the bigger person.

"Tell you what, Jimmy Jam. After you take your bath and get into your comfy pj's, you can call your daddy. How does that sound?" Haley told Jamie.

"Ok, awesome! Maybe he'll come over to play video games with me, too!" Jamie exclaimed while smiling ear to ear. He quickly ran up the stairs as he left Haley in the kitchen. Haley couldn't help but feel anxious as to Nathan's response when he would see Haley calling his cell and Jamie on the other line. Was she using her son as a way to connect with Nathan? Maybe and she did not know why she just had not called him earlier in the day. But, now it was nearly 8pm and still no call or text between either of them. Haley felt an ache in her heart. Did he feel the same, she thought?

Nathan had gotten to Charlotte and checked into his motel room. It was kind of dingy looking, but it would only be temporary. Once he got to the motel, took a nap because he hadn't slept at all the night before. He needed to be ready for the next day, which would hopefully be productive. Nathan woke up around 8:15pm and decided to order take out. He then jumped in the shower. When he got out, he noticed he had missed a call…Haley and there was a voicemail too. He took a deep breathe. It had been almost 24 hours since he had talked to his wife and son. Nathan had decided not to call and tell Haley where he was going, because to be quite honest, he did not have time to think. Also, he was afraid she wouldn't answer the phone and if she did, he did not want to hear her say the "D" word again. He knew he had failed her, so he needed to look forward and make a change. That's what had landed him in Charlotte. Suddenly, there was a knock at his motel room door that interrupted his thoughts. Nathan opened the door and was greeted by the delivery guy. Nathan paid for his Chinese takeout and closed the door. He set the food on the table and sat on the bed to listen to the voicemail Haley had left, not knowing what he would hear on the other end.

"Hi Daddy, it's me Jamie! Mama said I could call you after I took my bath and got my pj's on. So, I hope I can see you soon! Miss You and I L-O-V-E You!" It was Jamie on the voicemail, not Haley. Nathan was happy to hear his son's voice, but sad because he was so far. He also was a bit sad that it was Haley on the other end trying to speak with him. Nathan closed his phone and looked at the time it read 9:25pm. He was sure Jamie was in fast asleep by now, so if he called it would be only him and Haley. He didn't think calling her right now would be right. He decided to turn in for the night since he had a big day ahead.

Haley was getting ready for bed and was still stunned that not only had Nathan not called all day, he hadn't picked up when Jamie called and still had not called back. But now, she was started to get worried. It was so out of character for Nathan. What if he wasn't ok? Should she try calling him again? She decided she'd give him more time and call him in the morning.

MONDAY

Haley woke up and got Jamie ready for school. Still no sign of Nathan and as Jamie asked again for his dad, Haley promised Jamie he'd see him soon. Deep down Haley wasn't so sure that would be true. Haley made a mental note that she had to speak to Nathan today and find out what was going on. It was literally the longest she had gone without speaking to him and she was starting to get anxious and worried. So, Haley dropped Jamie off at school and decided she couldn't handle going into work today, so she called in sick. Then she went back home and called Lucas.

"Hey Haley" Lucas said into the phone.

"Lucas, is Nathan there?" Haley said in one breathe.

"Hello to you too, buddy! And no, he's not. I thought he was with you?" Lucas said honestly. When he heard silence on the other end, he added, "Or else, maybe we just missed each other. I've been in and out."

"No, we got in a pretty bad fight Saturday night after he got back from going to see Dan with you and I haven't heard from him since. We called him last night and left a voicemail and he still hasn't called back. This isn't like him, I mean I know we were fighting, but he would call Jamie and…." Haley said emotionally into the phone as Lucas cut her off.

"Listen, I seriously probably just missed him. Maybe he turned his phone off or forgot to charge it. I'm sure he'll call soon. I mean that was last night, it's only 10am now. "Lucas said trying to calm his best friend down.

"I don't know Lucas, I mean he hasn't spoken and seen either of us since Saturday night and it's Monday morning. I'm getting more worried by the minute and Jamie keeps asking for him." Haley said in a shaky voice. "I mean, I was pretty harsh with him and told him…."

"Haley calm down. Tell you what, I'm heading with the guys, I'm sure they've talked to him." Lucas said. "When I get a hold of him, I'll tell him to call you. Or if I hear anything, I'll call you. Sound good?"

"Yeah…ok. Thanks Luc. It's just we were both upset that night and we weren't thinking straight, so I just want to make sure he's alright…." Haley said as tears began to drown her brown eyes.

"I'm sure he's fine, Hales. I'll talk to you soon." Lucas said and hung up a little uneasy. Lucas immediately dialed Nathan's cellphone and got his voicemail.

"Hey man, where have you been? Haley and Jamie are looking for you. Please call them or at least call me and let me know what's up. Thanks" Lucas said before he hung up. Thinking there had to be a rational answer for Nathan's disappearance.

Back at home, Haley was getting nervous and decided she'd try calling Nathan again too. So she dialed Nathan's number and got his voicemail. She hung up and tried again and again and again. Haley had tried him about five times before a thought popped into her mind. What if Nathan had used one of their joint credit or debit cards? If he had used a card, she could look it up online and maybe get a clue into where he was. It might just do the trick. So Haley ran over to the computer and checked their accounts online. Gasolline….on Sunday. Ok, so that wasn't too much help. She logged onto their credit card account and found that there had been a charge on Sunday at the Bluebird Motel in Charleston. Haley immediately did a google search online and found the address and telephone number. She dialed the motel number and asked to be connected to Nathan Scott's room. To her surprise, the person on the other end did not hesitate to connect the call.

"What was Nathan doing in Charlotte, let alone in a motel?" She thought. " Why hadn't he called and told her where he was going? Was he with Carrie….could he really be cheating?"

Haley was broken out of her thoughts when she heard the other end ring and ring and ring. No answer. She hung up. Charleston was only about 2 hours away, so without skipping a beat, Haley decided she'd drive to see Nathan in person if he wasn't answering her phone calls. She had to know what he was doing in Charelston and she needed to hear it directly from him. No matter what the reason was.

Haley jotted down the motel's address and figured she'd get there around 1pm if there was no traffic. She had called Brooke and asked her to pick up Jamie from school and she was extremely anxious to get to Charlotte. Haley was unsure of what was going to happen next.

Nathan was exhausted as he had just had a walk on tryout for the D league team and it was harder than he thought it would have been on his body. Nathan got out of the shower and was getting his stuff out of his locker when he pulled out the picture of Haley and Jamie he had in his wallet. His family, that's why he was here. He had to try for them…..he wanted them back. He glanced at his phone and noticed he had six missed calls. Five were from Haley, one from Lucas. He took a deep breathe. A voicemail. The minute he started listening and heard it was Lucas he hung up. He was hoping for Haley and didn't have time for anyone else. The five missed calls from Haley must have been his son trying to get a hold of him, he convinced himself. He missed them both so much. It was nearly 5pm and he was just wrapping up his long day. He decided he'd call Jamie as soon as he got back to the motel.

It had taken Haley longer to get to Charleston than she had expected. She had been waiting for over 3 hours in the parking lot of the Bluebird Motel in Charleston. The reception person told her what room number Nathan was in, but no one answered the door. So she decided to wait to see when or if her husband showed up. Now it was nearly 5:30pm and Haley was starting to feel a bit ridiculous…but then she saw Nathan's range rover pull up. There he was- her husband. Nathan got out of his car with a bag of what looked like groceries in one hand and his duffle slung over his other shoulder. Sure enough, he walked into the room she had knocked on the door of hours earlier and closed the door.

"He's really here" Haley thought. "Why? Is he expecting someone, Carrie perphaps?" She had to find out, so she slowly got of the car and walked towards his hotel room. She knocked on the door.

Nathan had just put his bags down when he heard a knock at the door. "Who would that be?" He thought to himself. He walked to the door and was startled by the person that was standing on the other side.

"Haley" Nathan exclaimed "What are you doing here?"

Haley couldn't believe Nathan was standing in front of her, finally. "I could ask you the same question" she said in a more bitter tone than she anticipated.

Nathan noticed the edge in her voice, he couldn't believe Haley had found him in Charleston at this dingy motel. "I was just about to call you. I….." Nathan stammered out as he was cut off by Haley.

"Oh, you were? Because it did not seem like you were going to...we haven't heard from you at all!" Haley exclaimed in a defensive tone. She took a step inside the motel room crossing her arms in front of her. "Why are you here Nathan? Is this where you came to meet Carrie?" she continued as Nathan closed the door behind her.

Nathan was stunned, his wife thought he was cheating on her 2 hours away from home. This was not good and not close to the truth.

"What? No! Haley I told you nothing happened between me and Carrie…and I would never and have never cheated on you!" Nathan said sternly back. He wanted Haley to make that very clear to Haley once and for all. "You want to know why I'm here, Haley?"

Haley took a deep breathe. She was afraid of what Nathan was about to say.

"I'm here trying out for the D league team, Haley. That's all. Tryouts started today and run through Wednesday."

What did Nathan just say, Haley thought, "The D league?"

"Yeah, as in basketball. It's the league before the NBA. If I make it on the team, it's not only money to provide for our family, but a chance at more exposure and getting my game back." Nathan said as he crossed his arms in front of him too. Only this time, his tone was softer and he seemed defeated.

"Haley, basketball is the only real chance I have at providing for you and Jamie. So, that's why I'm here." Nathan said softly.

"Oh" Haley said leaving a pause and her arms falling to her side. "Why didn't you tell me?"

This time Nathan took a deep breathe and put his hands in his pockets as he looked at the ground, "Because Haley….. you told me to stay away from you….. and said you wanted a…." Nathan said in a sad whisper.

"Nathan" Haley said as she cut him off. She was now twisting her wedding band. "I…I said that when I was in a fragile state. I felt my world was out of control. The only thing that I knew I could do was protect Jamie. But it was wrong of me to tell you to stay away."

Nathan did not understand where Haley was going with this….what was she saying?

"But I was wrong. Ever since that night my world became even more out of control. That's because I didn't have you by my side." Haley said fighting back tears. She was going to be completely vulnerable with her husband in this moment. This was Nathan, her forever and she was going to tell him everything she felt and was thinking.

"Haley" Nathan interrupted.

"No, please Nathan. Let me finish." Haley choked out. "When I hadn't heard from you, I started to think something had happened to you. That maybe I pushed you too far that night, that…I don't know. My mind started creating all these scenarios and I was afraid I would not see you again." By now, Haley was fighting back tears and took another deep breathe. She had to tell her husband exactly how she felt. "I realized that not having you by my side was grueling, Nathan. Not knowing, where you were was terrifying…..and not knowing if I'd lost you forever….was heartbreaking."

Nathan was taking everything Haley was saying. He loved her so much.

"I know that we were fighting and we have so many things to figure out, but I need you to know- I love you Nathan….I'm in love with you. I can't help it. It's like breathing to me. Life without you in it would be the hardest thing I'd have to do. So, that's why I had to see you today and just tell you how I feel." By now Haley's cheeks were tear stained.

Nathan walked closer to his wife and wiped the tears from her face and tucked her hair behind her ears.

"I'm so crazy in love with you Haley, it hurts. I can't picture myself with anyone but you. You're my everything and I want our always and forever. I do, baby." Nathan said before he kissed the top of her forehead.

"Really, Nathan? I love you, I do. I'm sorry for telling you I wanted….."

"No, please. I don't want to hear that D word ever again, Haley." Nathan said as he cupped Haley's face.

Haley nodded in agreement and wrapped her arms around Nathan's neck and kissed him passionately. When air became an issue, they separated and rested their foreheads against one another.

"Nathan, this is a new beginning for us. I just want us to be that couple we used to be."

"There's nothing I want more, Hales."

With that the couple stood there holding each other and for the first time in months, they were happy. This is the way they'd be for all of time. Always and forever.


End file.
